SIDO

Need to get some wheels on my dob and get it to the garage, man I miss it...

Perpetual cloud and rain for 5 days and another 5 to go, stormy 2018 it was...is.

4300 megaparsecs, 81,700x1,000000 > 8.17e10 trillion miles...Wow.

https://phys.org/news/2018-09-refining-intergalactic-physics.amp

Taking for ganite the assumption of difficulty and jumping right in I found success once again....

Best skies all summer this last week, I am so indulging myself it's just awesome ?

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-09-accreting-millisecond-x-ray-pulsar.html

Just sitting watching Saturn & the Moon slice stars all around and the MilkyWay overhead. Sweet spot...indeed.

Wow what a change in plans last night after a clear forecast turns to bad transparency and a soaking dew, I quickly tossed the Touptek and HP laptop in the house and came up with an alternative megshift plan. Seeing was limited to about mag 9 so in saving face as my daughter had arrieved and she was looking forward we went on an open cluster marathon starting with C28 then moving to the Double Cluster and down to the Heart and Soul to begin our journey from 20° NE and followed the Milkyway SW hitting every available open cluster along the way with the Spiral the Sailboat and many others as we easily hopped our way to the zenith and beyond at wich time the wet had overcome the observations and the cloud moved overhead but all this not before our cluster marathon had bagged over 40 beautiful and worthwhile objects with my daughter left amazed by what can be achieved under such horrid sky conditions. What an awesome session and to have company for the experience was an added bonus. Love it...

Clear finally! Set the gear up at 2pm, get to test my new eaa rig again tonight... Excited? Yea ?

50° and clear forecasted, chasing the terminator tonight. Maybe take some snaps ?

Awesome skies here last night, definitely refreshed ?

Another promised clear night turned into a foggy fogfest, just getting the moon and planets before the clockwork midnight fog rolls in and soaks my optimism. Better nights ahead I hope ?

Just completed an ultralight friction fit waterproof paperboard dew/light shield for My Z200, black flooring underlayment, 2" stickon velcro, 2" stickon felt and a Razer knife...One more to go ?

Next forecasted clear night here in Wisconsin is Saturday, I have a flocking job on my old C150-HD Newtonian to complete as well a dew shield for the scope. By then the moonlight will be creeping back in to be seen. 

Just read this very interesting space weather article from phys.org

https://phys.org/news/2018-08-historic-space-weather.amp

Last night I bagged 9 of the brighter Perseids, M31, M32, M110, Saturn, Mars transparency about a 6 so not much worth going after but it was worth getting to be outside all night, My favorite part. Andromeda and it's companions were quite detailed though for the seeing dust lanes just hinting, maybe some colour to be seen this year I hope. Tonight is my final attempt at the Perseids ?

Third try for the Perseids tonight, Comet 21p and the last night I'll attempt Jupiter as too much atmosphere has come between us. All this and more if the midnight fog that has been the last two nights does not roll in. High pressure systems usually this time of year have better returns and getting night fog before September here in Wisconsin is odd in itself. Optimism slightly fading ?

Finally, clear sky's after 8 days of cloud and rain, a whole lot of catching up to do ?